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As a result, Mr. Poole greeted Mr. Darcy’s new wife with an eager smile and outstretched hand.

“Mrs. Darcy, I am very glad to meet you. I was exceedingly sorry to hear that you and Mr. Darcy chose not to hold your nuptials here at St George’s.

” The cleric’s attempt to ingratiate himself fell somewhat flat, aided not at all by the wind’s displacement of an oily mat of hair that had been combed across his balding pate.

“My wife wished to be married from her family’s home parish in Hertfordshire; I’m sure you can comprehend the sentiment,” replied Mr. Darcy, shortly.

Lizzy squeezed her husband’s arm slightly and tried not to smile. “Your church is very beautiful, Mr. Poole. The stained glass windows simply glow in the morning light.”

The cleric puffed his chest as if he had designed and paid for the windows himself. “Why, thank you, Mrs. Darcy. I have heard it said that the Queen herself prefers them to those adorning her chapel at Saint James.”

Unfortunately, the rector’s focus was not long drawn away from his own self-interest. “But where is Miss Darcy? She was admiring the windows herself just this past spring and we were going to arrange a time for her to come sketch them when no one else was about.”

Lady Eleanor stepped in before her nephew could cut the man off at the knees.

“Miss Darcy is visiting some cousins. Now, Mr. Poole, the Ladies’ Aid Society will be meeting Tuesday next, and this will be the last gathering before most everyone leaves for the country.

Is there anything in particular that you would like us to work on over the winter?

I have been thinking of blankets for the babies and orphans; such items are practical enough to be of use to the recipients, but would give the ladies a worthy medium with which to exhibit their embroidery skills.

” Mrs. Darcy’s obvious interest in the subject encouraged Mr. Poole and they were soon making plans.

While Elizabeth and Lady Eleanor spoke to the rector and the Earl was mingling with his peers, Darcy turned to Colonel Fitzwilliam. “I’m glad to see you, Richard. Will you be joining us for dinner? ”

His cousin nodded absent-mindedly and then jerked his head, indicating for Will to follow him to a corner where they might converse unheard.

“What is it? Is Georgiana…”

Richard made a small motion with his hand. “No, no… your sister is perfectly well. It is just…” He trailed off.

Darcy, already edgy due to the crowd, was becoming increasingly impatient. “What, then? You’re obviously concerned about something.”

The Earl’s younger son scratched the back of his neck, an old sign of disquiet that had lost him more card games than he cared to admit.

“Errr… There is nothing really wrong , per say… just that… well, how much of a hand have you and Elizabeth had in planning this ball that my parents are hosting next week?”

This was not at all what Darcy had been expecting and he could only shake his head in confusion. “None at all. Why?”

Richard sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “ Mater and Pater were talking about it over breakfast… I thought I should warn you that it’s turning into quite the gala .”

This time it was Darcy who raised an eyebrow.

Richard shrugged and glanced toward his parents.

“I’m sure you knew that Mama would invite all of Society who matters, but apparently there is an important vote coming up in parliament and the Earl has taken it upon himself to turn your ball into a political event as well.

You know that parliament breaks next week?

Well, not only has he invited most of the Lords and half of the Commons, but people are actually returning from their estates to attend it.

” The Colonel suddenly grinned. “My dear, unsociable cousin, the ball honoring your marriage to the lovely Miss Bennet is going to be the event of the year, and possibly the decade, Little Season or no.”

The Master of Pemberley blanched, but before he could think of anything to say, Elizabeth appeared at his elbow. Smiling brightly, she gave no sign that she was aware of her husband’s discomposure. “Mr. Darcy, are you ready to leave?”

Will agreed instantly and, after securing an invitation to join them, Richard stepped away to inform his sister that he would not need his seat in their carriage.

When he returned, he could tell by the couple’s expressions that Darcy had related his news to Elizabeth.

Thankfully, the lady appeared more amused than upset.

When the Colonel commented on this, Mrs. Darcy merely laughed and responded, “Ah, well… as I have said before, my courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me.”

Her words sounded vaguely familiar to Richard but were clearly meaningful to his cousin. The couple exchanged such a warm look that he suddenly felt excruciatingly alone, despite being surrounded by his closest family.

By the time the carriage had reached Grosvenor Square, Darcy had not only admitted that such a ball could not possibly be worse than many of those that he had attended as a bachelor, but he had even acknowledged that the couple might as well expose themselves to as much of Society as possible in a single evening rather than dragging the matter out.

Richard spoke a little during the short trip but mostly watched and appreciated his cousin’s very great fortune in making such a match.

He had no jealousy over the lady herself (he admired the former Miss Bennet very much but was well aware that her intelligence would have proven too much for him upon longer exposure).

Rather, he found himself envious of his more cerebral cousin, not for Darcy’s wealth and independence, but for his situation in being married to a woman so well suited to his personality and character.

Richard’s thoughts continued along a similar melancholy path as the party gathered at Matlock House. He waited until there was a lull in the conversation and announced, “Well then, I have a bit of news.”

When he had his relations’ attention, he did his best to don his usual devil-may-care attitude; “I received word yesterday that my promotion finally came through. As of next week, you may all address me as Brigadier General Fitzwilliam.” Once they had all congratulated him, he added, “I’ll be resigning my commission and making my knee before the King (or whoever is in charge) sometime around Christmas. ”

“Oh Richard, thank heavens!” exclaimed Lady Eleanor, who had been praying that her son would not have to go to war again.

The Colonel smiled at her and adopted a more jocular tone to lighten the mood. “You may not think so for long! Apparently the War Office has a place for me; starting in the new year, I shall be trying my hand at diplomacy, I fear.”

His youngest sister groaned theatrically. “The empire is doomed! I knew I should have paid more attention to the modern languages in school… it shall not be long before we are all speaking French and bowing before Napoleon!”

She barely dodged the pillow Richard threw at her. “Be careful, squirt, or I shall start calling you ‘ Lucy goosey’ in public!”

Mrs. Wallace merely smirked, having parried that particular threat since childhood. “Are you quite sure you want to do that, ‘snitchie Richie’?”

Before Richard could retaliate, the butler came to announce dinner and Lady Eleanor was calling for her son. When he offered his arm, she paused for a moment and said softly to him, “I’m so very, very happy that you will be done soldiering soon, Richard.”

The cavalryman merely nodded and cleared his throat, unwilling to admit how much his mother’s sincerity affected him .

Once seated, the Earl immediately dominated conversation at the head of the table with talk of the upcoming parliamentary vote.

Richard was amused to observe that, although Darcy sat at Lord Henry’s elbow and gave his elder relation every consideration, he also appeared to be keenly aware of the discussion occurring at the other end of the table, where Mrs. Darcy was tactfully interrogating the Countess over the upcoming ball.

This impression was verified when, at the end of the meal, Darcy moved promptly to Elizabeth’s side and looked to her with barely concealed curiosity. She merely smiled at him before turning back to his aunt; “Lady Eleanor, I believe that Mr. Darcy might like to see the guest list as well.”

To his credit, Darcy did not lose his temper when faced with pages upon pages of invitees, even when his uncle wandered over and mentioned that he had invited a few more gentlemen that morning after church. However, it was probably a good thing when the Colonel’s sister joined the group.

Lady Lucy still grieved for her dashing young husband, Colonel Wallace, but was determined to begin enjoying life again.

She was extremely pleased with her cousin’s choice of a wife and had every intention of pursuing a close friendship with the new Mrs. Darcy.

The Matlock ball would be Lucy’s first major social event since her mourning had ended and the sight of the guest list was enough to make even an earl’s daughter catch her breath.

“Good heavens, Mama! I don’t know even half of these people! And half of those, I might recognize the names but not the faces!” Lucy caught a certain look in her new cousin’s eye that suggested her admission was appreciated.

Lady Eleanor considered her daughter’s comment carefully while nudging the papers together so that the corners were aligned. “Perhaps we might go to the theatre on Monday. I’m not certain what is playing, but it would give us the opportunity to meet some people during the intermissions…”

“Oh yes—and peek at them from our box!” exclaimed Lucy, her high spirits only partially quelled by the disapproving look from her mother (which, it must be admitted, was half-hearted). “What say you, Darcy? Elizabeth?”

The newlyweds shared a glance before Elizabeth agreed to the plan.

In short order, a footman was sent for the latest newspaper and Lucy had identified a likely performance at the Little Theatre on Drury Lane.

When Darcy remarked that he had seen the play before, she shushed him and giggled, “Don’t be silly.

We are going to watch the audience, not the play! ”

Not much later, the Darcys bid the party farewell and departed.

It was a fine evening and the couple chose to take a turn around the square before returning to Derwent House.

In general, Elizabeth was perfectly happy to enjoy a quiet, companionable stroll, but the increasingly choleric look on her husband’s face convinced her that today was not such an occasion.

For a moment, she was reminded of a time when Mr. Bingley, standing in the Netherfield drawing room, had proclaimed, “I declare I do not know a more aweful object than Darcy, on particular occasions, and on particular places; at his own house especially, and of a Sunday evening when he has nothing to do.”

Elizabeth attempted to hide her amusement, but she still earned a sour look and raised eyebrow from her companion. “Forgive me, I was only considering what we might do to entertain ourselves this evening. Do you have a copy of this play we are to see? I’ve heard of it, but never seen it performed.”

If anything, Darcy’s visage became even more cross. “Yes, it is somewhere in the library,” he answered abruptly.

“Do you truly dislike it that much? We need not attend if it offends you so.”

Suddenly realizing that his wife was not deserving of his temper, Fitzwilliam shook his head once. “The play is perfectly acceptable.” As an afterthought, he added shortly, “I apologize for my mood.”

Anyone else of his acquaintance would have left the subject at that and allowed him to brood in silence. However, Elizabeth had no intention of letting him stew over some unknown irritant. “And your mood is the result of…?”

Will made a low noise in his throat but finally admitted, “I had not envisioned spending quite so much time with my relations during our first weeks of married life.” He sighed. “Why did we not remain in Kent?”

This time Elizabeth did not bother to hide her amusement. “We left Kent because there were various entertainments in London that we wished to attend… such as the theatre.”

Darcy’s lips twitched but he maintained his grim demeanor. “Humph. I should have stolen you off to the wilds of Scotland directly after the wedding.”

Lizzy rolled her eyes. “Ah yes, I believe we considered that option at one point, but when the idea was aired, Mama suggested that we could take Lydia with us… since her new school was in the same general direction and most young ladies are attended by a female relative during their wedding trip. Now that I think on it, I believe she assumed we would take Mary as well—it would be her right as next eldest, after all.”

By the end of this little speech, Darcy was quite ready to admit that their current situation was entirely pleasing to him and could not be improved upon.

As a result, the expression that met the butler’s glance when he opened the front door of Derwent House to the master was not at all awful and, in fact, appeared almost merry .

Once their wraps had been taken, Elizabeth turned to her husband and spoke in a low tone that the servants would not overhear; “If you, sir, would be so good as to stop by the library and choose such reading material as you might enjoy sharing with your wife in her chambers, I shall make arrangements so that we will not see another living soul for the remainder of the day.”

The resulting smile on Mr. Darcy’s face would have surprised even his dearest friends. If he took rather longer than usual to pick a book because he wished for just the right volume of romantic sonnets, his wife did not chide him for it.